Hurricane guarantees are a new twist this year in the fall- and winter-vacation offerings. Resorts such as Beaches, Sandals, SuperClubs and Club Med are promoting policies that allow travellers to rebook for another time without penalty if a hurricane ruins their vacation.

Expedia.ca has also introduced the Hassle-free Hurricane Promise -- the company will waive cancellation fees and provide alternative vacation options if there's a hurricane warning.

Then there's travel insurance. Although certainly not new, the hurricanes, combined with last year's tsunami in south Asia, have underscored the need for this often overlooked -- and misunderstood -- travel service.

Stan Seggie, president and CEO of RBC Insurance's travel insurance division, the largest provider of travel insurance in Canada, says business is up 10 per cent over last year as a result of these disasters.

"The number of people considering insurance is increasing, but there are still those who don't think about it, mostly young people who think they are invincible, which they're not."

Trip cancellation/interruption insurance and travel medical insurance are different kinds of plans, though they can be bought together in a comprehensive package.

Travel medical insurance picks up where your provincial health plan leaves off, which is basically at the borders of your home province. Most provincial plans offer limited coverage when outside the province -- even if you're still in Canada. Likewise, while your employee health plan may cover you when travelling, only the most generous plans offer services such as flying you home for hospitalization, 24-hour emergency assistance and medical referrals -- standard offerings of travel medical plans.

The amount of coverage in travel medical plans can run from about $1 million to up to an unlimited amount, thus protecting you against financial ruin should you or a family member have an emergency while on vacation.

Trip cancellation and interruption insurance, on the other hand, protects you against losing your vacation investment. If you have to cancel your trip because the kids are sick, you get your money back. Or, if you are halfway through your vacation and a hurricane blows in, you get reimbursed for the unused portion of your vacation.

For travel medical insurance, being over age 55 or having a pre-existing medical condition are two red flags that make you a riskier customer for insurers. That means that you will most likely pay more.

When it comes to trip cancellation and interruption insurance, some plans must be purchased within a specified time after making your vacation booking. If you try purchasing insurance after a hurricane has been named, you'll be out of luck. It's also important to remember that not all travel insurance is created equal.

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